1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to packaging. More specifically, the invention relates to packaging that is designed to first segregate and then mix dissimilar ingredients within a chamber at a time of the user's choice. Even more specifically, it relates to a package having an inner, frangible container holding a first material and a second outer container surrounding the first container that holds a second material. When the first container is broken open, the user can simply shake the outer container to mix the materials together.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are many products on the market that have dissimilar ingredients or components that need to be mixed together prior to use. In many cases, there is a window of time subsequent to this mixing in which the product needs to be used. Examples of this type of product are in cosmetics, such as hair coloring or dye, epoxies, glues, resins and the like, soaps or lotions with fragrance or antibacterial ingredients, fiber supplements such as Metamucil.TM., feminine hygiene products, such as douches and the like, pharmaceuticals such as novocaine or penicillin, and various powdered vitamin or food supplements. In all these cases, separate elements or materials need to be mixed together prior to use. The present invention provides a simple, unitary device that allows for storage and transportation of disparate materials and an easy activation routine to mix these elements together at the desired time for dispensing or use. During a search at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, a number of relevant patents were uncovered and they are discussed below.
First is U.S. Pat. No. 5,497,913 issued on Mar. 12, 1996 to Denny D. Baker. This describes a mixing bag and method. Unlike the present invention, there is no teaching of a frangible container disposed within another.
Next is U.S. Pat. No. 5,577,636 issued to Hiroki Fukuoka et al. on Nov. 26, 1996. This discloses a multi-tube container with breakable connections and is clearly dissimilar from the present invention. There is no teaching of the novel interiorly contained and anchored frangible tube required by the instant invention.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,712 issued on Oct. 5, 1993 to Jean-Pierre Lontrade et al. This is a package for altering the composition of a liquid. A lock chamber sliding in the neck of a bottle allows for the liquid carried inside to be purified and dispensed. This is clearly unlike the present invention by not having any mention of separate material containing chambers for mixing ingredients together at a desired time.
Another patent of interest is U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,548 issued on Jul. 7, 1992 to Michel Brunet et al. This describes a medicinal spray device with two compartments separated by a puncturable membrane. Unlike the present invention, the separating membrane is not broken by applying torque, but is punctured.
Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,246,142 issued to Elio and Josephine DiPalma on Sep. 21, 1993 discloses a device for storing a pair of products separately and subsequently mixing them. Referring to the embodiment described in FIGS. 6, 7, and 8 the differences between DiPalma et al. and the present invention are:
1) In the instant invention, the frangible interiorly contained compartment is permanently anchored to the base of the larger compartment.
2) The novel engagement means between the interior of the cap and the top of the interiorly contained compartment is not taught by DiPalma et al.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.